Container closure and forming means therefor



1940- s. o. CONNER ET AL 2,215,435!v CONTAINER CLOSURE AND FORMING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 20, 1956 INVENTOR Guy 0.6017116! and [rnesz H. Bock M,M1M.

Patented Oct. 1, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,216,432 PATENT OFFICE,

CONTAINER CLOSURE ANDFORLIING' MEANS THEREFOR Guy 0. Conner and Ernest H.

Bock, Wheeling,

, W. Va., assignors to Wheeling Steel Corporation, Wheeling, W. Va., a corporation of Delaware Application November 20, 1936, Serial No. 111,898

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a closure, particularly a closure for metal containers, means for applying the closure to the container and sealing it thereto, and means for releasing the closure for removal When desired.

Closures of various types have been provided for metallic receptacles heretofore. None of these, however, so far as we areinformed, is suitable for certain special applications. Metallic beer kegs, for example,.require a closure having a tight seal yet it is desirable that closures for such receptacles be easily applied and removed by relatively unskilled labor.

We have invented ,a closure, together with means for applying and removing it, which fully meets the requirements of this application and has other novel features, advantages and points of superiority over closures heretofore known which should adapt it for a wide range of uses.

In accordance with our invention, we provide an opening in a container, such as a beer keg, with a sleeve upstanding therefrom. The sleeve has an outwardly extending offset intermediate its ends and is adapted to receive a closure. If the container is designed to make only a single trip, the closure may be sealed by curling over the edge thereof the extreme end of the sleeve. If the container is designed to make several trips, a split sealing collar is disposed around the sleeve and the end of the collar is curled over the edge of the closure.

For sealing closures in accordance with our invention, we provide a tool comprising a collapsible chuck made up of a plurality of segmental fingers adapted to engage under the shoulder or offset before mentioned. A cup is adapted to embrace and collapse the chuck, while a die carried on the cup moves axially of the chuck to curl the end of the sleeve. A manually operable toggle linkage facilitates operation of the parts in the manner described.

This tool is described and claimed in our copending application Serial No. 186,833, filed January 25, 1938.

Our tool for releasing the closure comprises a bar having an arcuate recess in one end, terminating in a hook. The recess is adapted to receive the curled end of the sleeve and the hook to engage the extreme edge thereof so that by pulling back on the bar, the curled-in edge is bent outwardly whereby the closure can be removed.

The details of our invention are illustrated on the accompanying drawing and will be described fully herebelow, the sealing tool being explained Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in advanced position; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view along the line III- III of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a sectional form of closure;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing another form of closure; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the closure-releasing tool.

The sealing tool of our invention comprises-a pin l3 having a disc or plate I! secured thereto adjacent one end. A plurality of segmental r111 gers or jaws [2 have hooked lower ends I 3 and recessed upper ends 14 whereby they arecarried on the edge of the disc H. A cup is adapted to embrace the fingers or jaws l2 and hasa conical lower end It adapted to cooperate with sim-- ilarly shaped portions of the fingers l2 to collapse them when the cup is moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2. The disc II and fingers I2 thus constitute a collapsible chuck operable by advancement of the cup 15. I

A curling die I! is disposed within the jaws l2, being supported from the cup 15 by screws l8. Studs 19 engage the die.l1 and'cup I5 and are effective to transmit thrust from the latter to the former. The disc II is provided with holesfor the screws 18 and the studs l 9.

Toggle links 20 are pivoted at 2| 'to the cup l5. Toggle links 22 are pivoted to the links 20 at 23 and at 24 to a bearing 25 secured to the pin H] as by the rivet 26. A spring 21 normally holds the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Levers 28 extend upwardly from the links 22 and terminate in yoke-shaped handles 29. By pressing outwardly and downwardly on the handles 29, the toggle linkages 20 and 22 are extended, as shown in Fig. 2, to pull up on the jaws or fingers I 2 and push down on the cup l5 and die l7.

The tool described above is particularly adapted for the sealing of a closure such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As there shown, a container 3|, such as a beer keg, has an opennig 32 in the wall thereof. A sleeve 33 extends upwardly from the opening, the edge of the opening being curled around a bead formed on the inner end of the sleeve, as shownat 3 1. .An. outwardly extending ofiset or shoulder 35 is formed in the sleeve'intermediate its ends. A closure 36 comprises a disc 31 having a peripheral flange 38 terminating in a bead 39. The closure is adapted to be placed over the opening 32 with a gasket 40 below it, the gasket and closure seating on the curled edge 34 of the opening 32.

A split sealing collar 4| is disposed over the sleeve .33, being expanded at the split toper-mit such disposition thereof. The collar'v4l has an inwardly extending shoulder 42 adapted to 21311- view through a modified gage under the shoulder 35 of the sleeve 33. The outer end of the collar, furthermore, is curved inwardly to a slight extent, as shown at'43.

When the closure 36 and the collar 4| have been disposed as shown in Fig. 1, the sealing tool is disposed therearound as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Outward and downward pressure on the handles 29 forces the cup l5 and die [1 downward. Downward movement of the cup |5 collapses the jaws l2, whereupon they engage under the shoulder 42 as shown in Fig. 2. As before stated, the shoulder 42 of the collar 4| engages under the shoulder 35 of the sleeve 33. When the jaws l2 have obtained a firm grip under the shoulder 42, and collapsed the collar 4i into snug peripheral engagement with the sleeve 33, the peripheral groove lid of the die ll engages the inwardly curved end 43 of the collar 4| and deforms it to the condition shown in Fig. 2, in which the end of the collar is fully curled inwardly and over the head 39 on the closure 35, the grip of the jaws |2 under the shoulder 42 furnishing the reaction necessary for the deforming operation. The gasket 45 is compressed as shown in Fig. 2 by the downward pressure on the die l1 and a very tight seal is thus effected. The spring 21 restores the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1 when the pressure on the handles 29 is relieved. The jaws |2 being expanded, the tool may easily be removed from the sealed closure.

' When the container has been delivered to the user of the contents thereof, the closure may readily be released for removal by the aid of the tool shown in Fig. 6. As there shown, the tool comprises a bar 45 having a handle 45. The end of the bar has an arcuate recess 47 therein which terminates in a hook 48. An inclined slot 49 is also formed in the bar adjacent the end. When it is desired to release a closure, the end of the bar is placed on the curled-in end of the collar 4| so that the hook 48 engages the edge thereof. Outward and downward pressure on the handle 46 bends the edge of the sleeve upwardly and by repeating this process at spaced points around the closure, the collar 4| may be sufficiently bent outwardly and upwardly to release the closure 33.

The slot 49 is designed to receive one of the split ends of the collar 43 so that the latter may be completely removed from the sleeve 33. h The closure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is applicable to a container which is to be reused, since the sleeve 33 is not deformed by the application or removal of the closure and sealing collar 35. If a container is to be used only once, the end of the sleeve 33 may be curled over the bead on the closure to seal it. An example of this type of construction is shown in Fig. 4. This seal is similar to that of Fig. 1 except that no collar 4| is employed and the sleeve 33' is made long enough to permit curling over the bead on the closure 36'.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further modified form of closure and seal. In Fig. 5, the sleeve 33 has an outwardly flaring portion 50 which provides a seat for a closure 5| having a conical portion 52. A gasket is provided between the closure and the flared portion 5| of the sleeve. The latter also has a shoulder intermediate its ends, as in the other forms of closure shown. The tools shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 are adapted to sealing and unsealing closures of the types shown in Figs. 4 and 5 as well as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be apparentfrom the foregoing description that the invention provides a simple yet effective meansfor closing fillingope'nings in con-' tainers. The closing tool is particularly advantageous since no particular skill is required for its operation. It produces a tight effective seal, nevertheless, which at the same time is easily removable.

Althoughwe have illustrated and described but one preferred form of tool and a few forms of closures, it will be apparent that the details shown may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A container having an opening, closure means comprising a sleeve having its base disposed about said opening and extending outwardly from the container and connected thereto, said sleeve having intermediate its ends a reentrant peripherally thereof forming on its outer surface an outwardly projecting hook-shaped flange providing a grip for a sealing tool, said sleeve flaring outwardly intermediate the container-and the hooked-shaped flange and forming a conical closure seat, and a closure positioned in said sleeve, the extreme end of the sleeve being curled over the edge of the closure.

'2."A seal for a closure covering an opening in a container, comprising a tubular sleeve having an inturned bead at one end, about which the container wall adjacent said opening is curled to provide a closure seat, a closure on said seat, a reentrant offset intermediate the ends of said sleeveproviding a grip'for a sealing tool, and means extending inwardly from said offset over the edge of said closure.

3. A container closure comprising an annular seat surrounding an opening in a container and having an exposed face lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the opening, a closure member having a portion resting upon said face and another portion extending generally out-' wardly of the container away from said seat generallyin the direction of the axis of the opening and having a curled extremity, and means engaging-the container and said generally outwardly extending portion of the closure member holding the closure member in place. a 4, A container closure comprising an annular seat "surrounding an opening in a container, a closure member engaging said seat and having a fastening means engaging bead and fastening means connected with the container extending generally outwardly of the container generally in the direction of the axis of the opening and engaging the fastening means engaging bead of the closure member to hold it in place, the fastening means having a tool engaging shoulder intermediate its ends.

5. A container having an opening, an annular bead surrounding said opening and forming a a.

closure seat having an exposed face lying generally in a'plane perpendicular to the axis of the opening, a closure member therefor, said closme member having a seat resting on said face, said closure member having a portion flaring outwardly and terminating in an annular bead offset from said seat and having an exposed face lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the opening, and fastening means connected with the container about said opening and extending outwardly therefrom and engaging said bead on said last-named exposed face thereof to hold the closure member in place.

GUY O.CONNER.

ERNEST H. BOCK. 

